Ex-Bell official seeks $837,000 payout

The City of Bell is facing another lawsuit from an official ousted during the compensation scandal that rocked municipal governments across the country. The former prosecutor and director of general services is asking for $837,000.

Eric Eggena says that the city owes him for 18 months of severance pay and 329 days of sick and vacation time that went unused. At the time of his dismissal, Eggena was earning $421,000 per year, not including fringe benefits.

Eggena’s attorney says that regardless of the terms, the City must honor the contract that it had with his client. Attorneys for Bell, however, contend that the city council never approved the contract, only Robert Rizzo did, thereby making it void.

Eggena was not one of the eight former officials to be indicted over the compensation and fraud scandals. However, his home was searched and according to the District Attorney’s office, his name repeatedly surfaced as part of the investigation.
From the Los Angeles Times:

One of the highest paid officials in Bell, fired at the peak of the corruption investigation that included a search of his house, has sued the city for $837,000, including compensation for 329 unused sick and vacation days.

Eric Eggena was fired shortly after the salaries of the top rung of municipal officials in Bell were made public. Eight former officials are now facing criminal charges. Though Eggena is not among them, his house was searched as the L.A. County district attorney’s office built its public corruption case…